Where to go at Christmas and New Year
It's the most expensive travel period of the year and the one most people leave until last. These are the options that still work out.
Book earlier than you think
Christmas and New Year are, alongside August, the highest-demand dates of the year. Flight and accommodation prices climb hard from October, and by December what's left is expensive and poor. Deciding in September can mean a difference of several hundred euros.
Christmas markets
Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Strasbourg, Kraków and Nuremberg are the classics. The atmosphere is genuinely good, but expect real cold, between zero and six degrees, and crowds. Kraków and Budapest are by far the most affordable of the group.
Winter sun
The Canaries are the obvious choice and therefore among the priciest at those dates. Alternatives with similar temperatures and better prices: Madeira, southern Morocco, Egypt and Cape Verde. All above 20 degrees in mid-December.
Snow
The season is usually open by Christmas, but early-season snow conditions vary year to year. The Alps are the safest bet; the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada depend heavily on how the winter starts. Check the report a few days before and avoid non-refundable packages booked far ahead.
Cities without markets
If the cold doesn't appeal, Rome, Lisbon, Seville or Málaga in December sit at 15 to 18 degrees, with far fewer people than in summer and more contained prices. An underrated option for those dates.
New Year's Eve: the key decision
31 December is the most expensive night of the year in any tourist destination, and many restaurants only offer a fixed, pricey menu. If New Year's Eve isn't your priority, travelling between the 26th and 30th, or from 2 January, changes the budget entirely.
Indicative budget
Four or five days in a European city, with the flight booked in time: 400 to 700 euros per person. Booking in December, expect 40 to 50 percent more. And budget separately for New Year's Eve dinner if you eat out.
Keep reading
Browse every winter destination, or go back to the board and filter by month.